The 2025 Franklin & Marshall Diplomats football team was an American football team that represented Franklin & Marshall College as a member of the Centennial Conference during the 2025 NCAA Division III football season. In its first season under head coach Michael Phelan, the Diplomats compiled a 9–2 record (7–0 against Centennial opponents) and won the Centennial Conference championship in an overtime upset win over reigning champ Johns Hopkins. The team played its home games at Shadek Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The Centennial Conference title earned the Diplomats an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III football championship. The appearance snapped the Diplomats' 1,229 game streak without a post-season tournament appearance, the longest in NCAA Division III. The Diplomats hosted the Eastern University Eagles in the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing 28-24 in both program's post-season debut.
Schedule
Player awards Star wide receiver Gary Lewis became Franklin and Marshall's first semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy. In addition, Lewis was named an AP Second-Team All-American, AFCA All-American, Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Centennial Conference, and broke the school record for receiving touchdowns.
References